As winter approaches, a national trade body is issuing a timely reminder to property managers to ensure air quality management is on their radar. With the arrival of dark nights and dropping temperatures, moisture levels in buildings start to increase. Air becomes more laden with water, meaning that issues such
Can the use of blockchain help the property, building and construction sectors – Well Yes it can I think. One of the more innovative technology rich projects to be released this year is an operating system called nOs. This is short for the Neo Operating System. The nOS project was
A Commercial Introduction To LED Lighting Systems Traditional lighting systems range from incandescent, low pressure and high pressure sodium lighting solutions to metal halide or mercury vapour lighting systems. All of these kinds of lighting are good and some more (cost effective than others depending on the specific requirements of
6 Preventative Maintenance Tips For Commercial Plumbing People often underestimate the importance of plumbing in their commercial business, but think about it; you can work hard to create the best business in the world, but something as understated as a water leak could cause thousand of pounds worth of damage
Ministers have given the green light for construction to begin on thousands of discounted homes for first-time buyers. The government chose 30 local authorities to partner with in developing the first wave of Starter Homes, which will be available to buyers aged 23-40 at 20 per cent below market value.
Recently, it was announced that US behemoth Atas Residential had forged a build-to-rent venture in conjunction with Wildheart Residential management in the UK. This marks the American firms’ first major push into the British marketplace, while also showcasing the potential that currently exists in the buy-to-rent sector. This is an
Once again, the housing market has shown strong, positive growth signs, with the average UK house prices increasing by a further 7.9% in the 12 months building up to this January, signalling a notable increase on the 12 months up to last December, recorded at 6.7%. Additionally, in the index
Increasingly, property is seeing the integration of technology on an ever-expanding scale. With potential occupiers no longer being quite as satisfied by the mere bricks, mortar and location offered by a property, the demand for technological integration in properties is on the rise. As such, the expectations for technology to
Unphased by some of the major changes in tax this year, it has been reported (in recent research) that the majority of UK property investors (circa 56%, in fact) are resolute in continuing with plans to purchase further buy-to-let assets over the course of the next year. The news is,
Recently, Gentoo Tolent, a leading northern construction firm has successfully been able to confirm a £2.5m contract to develop fifteen residential properties in the Alnwick area, as appointed by Lindisfarne Homes. The project effectively looks to convert a site presently used by the former Thomas Percy School, which has been
As winter approaches, a national trade body is issuing a timely reminder to property managers to ensure air quality management is on their radar. With the arrival of dark nights and dropping temperatures, moisture levels in buildings start to increase. Air becomes more laden with water, meaning that issues such as condensation, and even damp and mould, can take hold. As a result, the Property Care Association (PCA) is urging property managers to ensure appropriate servicing, repairs and checks are made to ventilation fans and air management systems, to tackle the issue. Steve Hodgson, chief executive of the PCA, said: “Ventilation fans and air management systems are at the front line in providing a healthier environment for people to live and work in. “They play an invaluable role at this time of year at addressing the heavy, cold air that can circulate in buildings as temperatures drop. “However, despite the contribution they make to air quality, it’s not uncommon for their service and repair to be overlooked. “Without a structured servicing regime, waste can build up in the system. This can become a breeding ground for bacteria and also reduce efficiency. “It is also not uncommon for systems to be installed which are not the correct specification for their particular environment. “This is unfortunate as effective ventilation is the most effective way to tackle excess moisture in buildings.” The PCA’s membership includes professionals with the skills and expertise to undertake the design and installation of ventilation solutions for commercial and residential areas. More details can be found at www.property-care.org/
Can the use of blockchain help the property, building and construction sectors – Well Yes it can I think. One of the more innovative technology rich projects to be released this year is an operating system called nOs. This is short for the Neo Operating System. The nOS project was unveiled by Dean van Dugteren at the NEO loves Amsterdam conference held at the DeLaMar Theatre on April 14th, 2018. nOS is a virtual operating system for NEO that will run on mobile and desktop, and functions like a browser and app store. nOS aims to encourage consumer level adoption of NEO dApps by providing a safer and easier way to use applications. There are so many blockchain projects out at the moment. Some in the early stages like nOs and some that are further along. They can be viewed at Coin Market Cap which has over 1600 current projects dealing with the blockchain technology. In our next review of nOs we will explain its full potential for all sectors. Who is involved: – The core nOS team is comprised of City of Zion developers: Dean van Dugteren, founder of Click.DJ and VDT Network, Jason Perry, creator of NEO Ruby, and Matt Huggins, the maintainer of the Neon Wallet.
A Commercial Introduction To LED Lighting Systems Traditional lighting systems range from incandescent, low pressure and high pressure sodium lighting solutions to metal halide or mercury vapour lighting systems. All of these kinds of lighting are good and some more (cost effective than others depending on the specific requirements of the company) but at the end of the day they all (at the end of the day) are less efficient compared to the running costs of LED (Light Emitting Diode) technologies in the modern day scenario, especially in commercial applications. Why It Is Important to Look At LED Lighting Systems As The way Ahead Both the cost efficiency, effectiveness and implementation of LED systems is the key here in order to reduce both the energy footprint of the the company and at the same time saving the company (and shareholders money.) The energy footprint is one thing but the overall goal is to implement the best system providing the lighting solution required for the specific application you need. LED lighting systems are the best way ahead and they rapidly are replacing all other forms of the lighting systems previously used due to the facts detailed above. Modern Day Efficiency of Lighting From An LED Standpoint With companies all over the world racing ahead at a staggering pace with the improvements of all kinds of technologies some of the most rapidly advancing is the LED systems available today. The luminous output from these systems far out reach all of the other lighting possibilities for both cost effectiveness and “on site” applications today. While companies in China (for one example) are pushing the speed of production, performance, efficiency, and mass manufacturing capabilities currently available, the rest of the world is racing to keep up due to the mass demand for these systems especially in commercial application as detailed. My LED Lighting Guide LED lighting systems and retro fitting specialists are at the forefront of the technological implementation of this most up to date and revolutionary stage of this current situation. These systems are indeed the best modern day solutions to many aspects of the field, while being increasingly recognised to be the market leaders. LED is the way Ahead With the above being detailed it is increasingly obvious to most that the best lighting systems of the modern day era are LED as detailed but they are also some of the easiest ways to transition from the older systems mentioned for the simple fact of retrofitting existing lighting with new fittings. Simply but using the existing wiring, mounting systems in place it is easy to understand how (just like changing a lightbulb or mounting) the transition can be quickly, cheaply, efficiently and what is more cost effectively improved with regard to the older technologies. This being said it is quite obvious to commerce and the reader the “LED solution” is the most modern and cost effective way to bring your company, corporation, organisation’s lighting solutions right up to date with all of the benefits detailed, at the most cost effective rate available today.
6 Preventative Maintenance Tips For Commercial Plumbing People often underestimate the importance of plumbing in their commercial business, but think about it; you can work hard to create the best business in the world, but something as understated as a water leak could cause thousand of pounds worth of damage or even closure. For businesses, such as restaurants and hotels, the quality of your plumbing is pivotal for cleaning of utensils and guest use. The problem is; when things go wrong they are expensive to fix. Getting the help of a professional plumber is not the most cost effective solution when you’re trying to run a business – luckily there are actions you can take to prevent ever needing to call in a professional. Here are some of the ways in which you can keep on top of your plumbing before it becomes a problem. Unclog drains If the drainage speed of your sinks is a little on the slow side you should act before it gets any worse. This can be solved easily using a mixture of hot water and vinegar to pour down your drains and dislodge any unwanted debris. This should be done routinely every three months just to keep on top of the situation – you never know what might have accumulated down there! Check the pressure There really is nothing worse than a limp shower, so if you own a hotel and your showers are lacking water pressure then your guests aren’t likely to return – and could leave a bad review in the process! Using a pressure gauge can help you test the pressure in your water circulation system. Investing in top of the line shower pumps will prevent any issues in low water pressure. Stop the leaks If you ignore a leaking tap or showerhead, it’s not going to get any better – drips are far more likely to get worse over time if left unchecked. These drips may seem harmless right now, but they are actually adding a substantial amount to your water bills, as well as potentially causing other problems. Check the handles of the taps/showerheads to make sure that you don’t have a drip when they are turned off and inspect under the sinks for any potential water damage. Protect your toilets Leaks or clogging in toilets can spell disaster for your business – if your toilets go bust, your reputation could soon follow. Making sure you have a respected manufacturer of your toilets that offer toilet plumbing for the commercial sector will make sure you are ready to cope with the heavy demands. Flush only what’s necessary When it comes to toilets, the only thing you should be flushing is toilet paper and human waste – anything else can cause clogging and spell disaster. For a commercial business this may be difficult to enforce as you don’t have total control, but putting up signs reminding people of this fact could be your best bet to avoiding potential trouble. Inspect your appliances Sometimes the leaks can come from something you wouldn’t normally expect, like a refrigerator or washing machine, and can cause mould/mildew if you don’t notice before it’s too late. Unexplained puddles are an obvious giveaway, but you would be best served checking underneath every so often just to be safe.
Ministers have given the green light for construction to begin on thousands of discounted homes for first-time buyers. The government chose 30 local authorities to partner with in developing the first wave of Starter Homes, which will be available to buyers aged 23-40 at 20 per cent below market value. The homes will be built on brownfield sites across the UK, with the councils being chosen on availability of land and ability to deliver homes quickly. The partnerships between the Homes and Communities Agency and the local authorities have been established under the government’s £1.2bn Starter Homes Land Fund, which was launched last April. The fund supports the acquisition, remediation and de-risking of brownfield land for Starter Home developments. Construction of the first Starter Homes will begin later this year. Housing and planning minister Gavin Barwell said: “This government is committed to building Starter Homes to help young first-time buyers get on the housing ladder. “This first wave of partnerships shows the strong local interest to build thousands of Starter Homes on hundreds of brownfield sites in the coming years. One in three councils has expressed an interest to work with us so far.” Read more at https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/markets/sectors/housing/government-kick-starts-starter-homes-construction/10016061.article
Recently, it was announced that US behemoth Atas Residential had forged a build-to-rent venture in conjunction with Wildheart Residential management in the UK. This marks the American firms’ first major push into the British marketplace, while also showcasing the potential that currently exists in the buy-to-rent sector. This is an interesting trend in the UK property market, particularly considering the increased stamp duty and tax levies being aimed at private landlords. In fact, it reveals an underlying issue concerning supply, as the market continues to suffer from a dearth of available properties listed for sale. A Look at the UK Property Market: The Rise of Buy to Rent and the Reasons Behind This Over the course of the last 18 months, property prices in the UK have risen at an exponential rate. This growth has been vastly disproportionate to inflation and national earnings, creating a market where far fewer citizens can afford to buy. As a result of this, we have seen a dramatic increase in the the number of renters, as people look for a short-term alternative to buying. This debilitating cycle can be traced back to a fundamental lack of supply, as there are simply not enough available properties to fulfil demand and sustain a balanced marketplace. The statistics that support this are quite insightful, as while the UK is required to build an average of 300,000 houses each year to meet the prevailing demand they have not constructed more than 200,000 in more than a decade. While this has created a demand that has fuelled the buy-to-rent market, however, those within the sector have been quick to capitalise. Outlets such as Allsop have advertised this demand to interested parties, for example, while offering in-depth and actionable advice about how investors can participate. Similarly, initiatives such as the Build to Rent scheme in the UK have helped private sector firms to minimise the risk associated with individual construction projects, while optimising returns and sharing accountability with government agencies. The Bottom Line: What Else Can We Draw from the Rise of Buy to Rent? While the large-scale, international collaboration between Atlas and Wildheart Residential may be a fundamental symptom of an ailing property market, however, it is not the only one. We have also seen a distinct rise in the demand for alternative housing too, from flat pack and manufactured structures to motor homes. In fact, motor home sales increased by 20.4% in the year ending March 2016, translating into £150 million in retail value and signalling a huge shift in the outlook of buyers. As we can see, a lack of available housing (and the inability of private sector firms to build the required amount of properties per annum) is changing the perception of buyers and forcing them to seek out more innovative and affordable options. This is a trend that is likely to continue for the foreseeable future, at least until more properties can be built and the market can develop a sense of equilibrium. Even then, there remain concerns about the suitability of new-build houses, which are increasingly compact and unable to meet the demands of modern home-owners.
Once again, the housing market has shown strong, positive growth signs, with the average UK house prices increasing by a further 7.9% in the 12 months building up to this January, signalling a notable increase on the 12 months up to last December, recorded at 6.7%. Additionally, in the index provided by the Office of National Statistics, it has also been shown that prices actually increased by some 8.6% in England, in Scotland 0.1%, 0.8% in Northern Ireland and a fall of 0.3% in Wales. With the average house price rising to circa £292,000, it is clear that the demand of housing, and also the investment potential within housing is still on the rise as we slowly break out of the recessionary periods. As to the pockets of England in which the growth has been most evident, a yearly increase of approximately 11.7% has been seen in the South East, with growth of approximately 10.8% in London and 9.8% in the East of England. Excluding the hotspots of London and the South East however, the average rise in prices has still been cited as 5.1% in the 12 months up to January, with an actual increase of approximately 0.9% between December and January – a notable increase in what is considered to be a relatively small period of time. Whilst the figures, as aforementioned due signal a very strongly performing housing market as a whole, industry experts have highlighted the density of change seen in certain geographic pockets; in effect ,this meaning that, whilst progress is being seen in the housing market, the degree reported may show slightly skewed figures from what can Is represented in many geographic areas around the UK. Most specifically, the lack of geographic spread in progress can be seen most aptly in the areas of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland where, while certainly not performing altogether badly, have not shown a great deal of progress or change as a whole.
Increasingly, property is seeing the integration of technology on an ever-expanding scale. With potential occupiers no longer being quite as satisfied by the mere bricks, mortar and location offered by a property, the demand for technological integration in properties is on the rise. As such, the expectations for technology to play a greater role in influencing the leasing, renting and buying properties, the time for developers to step up on the technological front is nigh, as can be seen in KMPG’s latest report. In the report by KMPG’s, predictions have been made as to how the sector will be in some 20 years’ time. Of the results shown, the most noteworthy aspect is the key role in which the level of technology and management processes behind the scenes of properties will come to play in the coming times. At the same time, fortunately, it has also being predicted that technology companies will also be able to deliver this more effectively in the future too. A concept not yet fully integrated in the UK property sector, one of the key areas highlighted by Tudor Aw, KMPG’s Head of Technology, will not only be the hardware associated with a property, but also the software. With the operating system of a property itself predicted to see as important a role as it does on the common smartphone, it is even expected that the modern property’s operating system may even see updates every few weeks. Of course, the move towards technology-led buildings may also see a change in the vary nature of how properties may be managed, paid for and even handled as a concept. In fact, Aw highlights the possibility as to whether the business model may see a move towards property developers actually “owning” customers, yet then, in return providing low-cost homes which are then supported by a whole host of technological benefits and possibilities.
Unphased by some of the major changes in tax this year, it has been reported (in recent research) that the majority of UK property investors (circa 56%, in fact) are resolute in continuing with plans to purchase further buy-to-let assets over the course of the next year. The news is, as expected, regarded as a bold move for such investors with reference to the previously reported market changes which will make it even more difficult for buy-to-let properties to effectively turn a profit (many reported to even have losses predicted). Of course, those looking to invest aren’t just diving in head-first, and it is instead reported that many are taking a responsible approach to their investment, with many establishing themselves as limited companies so as best to minimise the impacts of this year’s tax changes (circa 40%). Additionally, many other investors have laid out plans to increase rents at their properties to ensure a level of profitability also (some 33%). Yet, naturally, some investors have taken heed of the changes to both stamp duty and tax relief, taking a more cautious approach to their investment plans. Of those which have stated not to be securing any additional buy-to-let assets this year (the remaining 44%), a large portion (20%) attributed this to caps placed on tax relief, whilst most of those remaining (16% in total) referred to the changes made to stamp duty as one of the key causes of concern. However, following on from our recent nod to the industry changes, the news is well received, with a shade more confidence in the sector than was originally predicted. Naturally, the prospects highlight an unforeseen continuation in opportunity for industry lenders, who will be able to continue benefiting from the considerable interest in buy-to-let properties and commercial mortgages. How long this trend is to continue, however, is hard to say.
Recently, Gentoo Tolent, a leading northern construction firm has successfully been able to confirm a £2.5m contract to develop fifteen residential properties in the Alnwick area, as appointed by Lindisfarne Homes. The project effectively looks to convert a site presently used by the former Thomas Percy School, which has been out-of-use for a number of years now, and develop it into a combination of 2 and 3 storey properties, each with 3 and 4 bedrooms. Of those to be developed, one of the properties is to be developed using brick, primarily to sit in line with the existing aesthetics of the Blakelaw Road area, whilst the other fourteen will be developed utilising stone as the primary building material. As the first property development contract in the area for Lindisfarne Homes, expectations and hopes are expectedly high, with the organisation greatly anticipating working alongside Gentoo Tolent over the period in a bid to deliver a range of quality, high-standard properties suitable for residential family usage. Gentoo Tolent’s Managing Director, Paul Webster, also made comment, stating the contract to be a victory for the company and a good signal for the success it hopes to achieve this year, then adding that, with regard to working with new client, Lindisfarne: “We’re delighted to be working with them on this scheme.” As the project manager for the project, Silverstone Building Consultancy has been appointed and, as such, the organisation will be helping to arrange the various aspects of the project and its delivery, with the goal of then finishing the project at some point in November this year. Having already engaged in multiple meetings with Lindisfarne to discuss the arrangement of the project, Silverstone Building Consultancy is firmly prepared and ready to deliver on the project, with a keen eye on ensuring it is completed in time, and within the allocated budget.
